Putin’s Strategy in Ukraine Fraught with Risk

The Newsletter

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko now says that Kiev is ready to consider talks with Russia.

The Ukrainian leader told French broadcaster, France 24, that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed to talks involving the four countries that make up the ‘Normandy Four’: Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.

This, after President Donald Trump cancelled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at last week’s G20 meeting, failing to act on an opportunity to deliver a public warning to Putin that would have been in line with condemnations from other senior members of the Trump administration.

Russia seized Ukrainian vessels and took 24 Ukrainian sailors into custody last month, claiming the Ukrainians had illegally crossed the Russian border.

The Cipher Brief spoke with Russia expert and former CIA Officer Dan Hoffman about Putin’s long game in Ukraine.

Daniel Hoffman is a former Chief of Station with the Central Intelligence Agency. His combined 30 years of distinguished government service included high-level positions not only within the CIA, but also with the U.S. military, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Commerce. Assignments included tours of duty in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and war zones in both the Middle East and South Asia. During this time, Hoffman developed substantive expertise on geopolitical and... Read More